French President Emmanuel Macron called for the European Union to activate its anti-coercion instrument, described as its most potent trade weapon, against the United States between 1:46 p.m. and 2:16 p.m. UTC on January 18, 2026, in response to President Donald Trump's tariff threats related to Greenland, according to KobeissiLetter on X. The instrument, never used before, would restrict U.S. access to the EU market, potentially blocking U.S. banks from EU procurement and targeting U.S. tech giants, the report stated. Macron made the remarks during this 29-minute period amid escalating transatlantic tensions. Separately, Berlingske newspaper reported in the same window that a Danish military internal report revealed U.S. military officials sought information via unofficial channels on key military facilities, airfields, and ports in Greenland useful for an invasion. The Economist reported that European countries could shut down U.S. military bases such as Ramstein in response to a U.S. takeover attempt of Greenland, complicating U.S. power projection in the Middle East and Africa, with economic measures against U.S. companies also under discussion, according to nexta_tv on X. These developments follow President Trump's January 17 announcement of 10% tariffs on Denmark and assisting nations starting February 1, rising to 25% on June 1 unless a Greenland purchase deal is reached, as previously reported.
